5 reasons you should vote Lib Dem as a student

We'll be speaking to all parties over the next few months, asking why you should vote for them. Here the Young Liberals, (youth and student wing of the Liberal Democrats) tell us why you should vote Liberal Democrat on the 8th June.

Like many students, the Liberal Democrats are instinctively open and tolerant. We believe in the same thing many of you do: an open-minded, outward-looking Britain. We’re asking for your vote to help us stop a disastrous hard Brexit that will harm future opportunities for students.

A vote for the Liberal Democrats will be a vote for the true voice of opposition. If you want to change the future direction of our country, here are 5 reasons why you should vote Liberal Democrats:

1) Your job

Students know that some of the greatest employment opportunities lie beyond the UK’s borders and that many UK industries rely on European trade. The Liberal Democrats will fight to secure the UK’s place in the Single Market and protect employment opportunities for graduates. 75% of young people voted to Remain in the EU to protect the freedom to travel, work and study across Europe. The decisions made now will affect your generation the most and students deserve a say in the final outcome of any deal made with the EU.

2) Your home

Renting affordable student accommodation is increasingly difficult and buying a home is a rite of passage that most young people are denied. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way! The Liberal Democrats plan to build 300,000 houses during the next parliament to curb the soaring cost of rent and make home ownership an achievable goal for everyone. Renters’ rights matter. To protect yours we will crack down on dodgy landlords and ban letting fees that hit students hardest. We will reverse the Conservative government cuts to housing benefits for 18-21 year-olds and we will stop the sale of council housing that forces young people into homelessness. When the time comes, we will help you get your foot on the property ladder with Rent to Own homes.

3) Your mental health

It’s not just housing and the job market that young people have to worry about; the human cost of mental illness is largely felt by young people and services remain seriously underfunded. Mental health is every bit as important as physical health and our NHS should reflect that. The Liberal Democrats invested over a billion pounds in young people’s mental health and introduced the first ever waiting time standards. Since then standards have slipped and students presenting with self-harm or eating disorders have been left to wait. The Liberal Democrats will urgently invest more money in mental health services, raise public awareness and combat stigma so that young people can talk openly about issues like depression and anxiety.

4) Your freedom

Above all the Liberal Democrats value liberty and equality. Our party was at the forefront of introducing same-sex marriage and holding companies to account for gender pay gaps. We will continue to fight for the rights and freedoms of young people. As Liberals, we would legalise and regulate cannabis to raise taxes for the NHS and mental health services. We would also decriminalise and regulate sex work so that young sex workers who have been pressured into the industry have a clear path to safety.

5) Your planet

The Liberal Democrats created the world’s first green investment bank and introduced a plastic bag charge that raised over £20 million for charity. We have gone further than any other party with an ambitious target of reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Poor air quality is a significant health problem; it is responsible for around 40,000 deaths in Britain every year. We will invest in green transport such as electric vehicles and phase out diesel. The Liberal Democrats believe that you deserve to inherit a healthy planet.

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